SHOCKING HABITS OF POULTRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 26

SHOCKING HABITS OF POULTRY.

DRUNK AND INCAPABLE. On the 18th November, at Oban, before Sheriff Maoi.avisli, John Turner, Laggau, claimed LSO damages, restricted to Ll2, against a local distillery compitoy, for injury done to his poultry by tho said comps.uy in allowing intoxicating material to flow into the Laggan burn. This material, it was alleged, caused drunkenness amongst the pursuer's poultry, and consequently rendered thorn of little or no value to him. Pursuer elicited that for some years past he had been making a considerable income from keeping poultry, but that since the starting of the distillery he bad made little or nothing. His bens and ducks would not eat. They were, be might say, always more or less under the influence of drink, except on Sundays, when tbe distillery was no': working. "On Sanclayu their condition was pitiable in the extreme. Mondayß were their worst days, for then the hens drank excessively, fell into the bum frequently, and lately he had to keep a boy to look after them on Monday mornings. They took no food unless they first had & walk to Laggsn burn. Their conduct -was very reprehensible, and the ducks were no better than the hene. I took the poultry some time to discover the burn. He'thought it was a hen he had bought at Fort William that made the discovery first, and that she had led the rest astray. Orosfc-examined by Mr William Smith, soliciucs : Have you ever observed " gapes " ia bous?— Yfie. Da you not consider that your hens ara suffering from " gspes "? — Yes, whisky " gapes." — (Laughter.) Did you know anything about this Fort William hen before you bought her I—Nothing1 — Nothing whatever. - Mr John Scott at tbiß stage wished to r«ad to the bs-cch an article by Mr' Andrew Lang refoiring to a somewhat similar case. Mr Smith objected, as the party was not called. Mr Scott stated he had summoned Mr Lang, but he had not put in an appearanoe. He left himself in his Lordship's hands. The Sheriff sustained the objection. Superintendent Moss was then asked by Mr Scott to place on the boztoh a larpre cage of wickerwork containing- the Fort-Wiliiam hen referred to. Ho asked to be allowed to recall the pursuer. Granted. . Mr Scott : This is the Fort- William hen ?— It is. Ia it sober ?— lt is not. (Anyone could notice that this was correot, for it sat on the bottom of the cage and put its long neck through the .bars, looked sideways at the ceiling, crooning to itself in what was termed a •• maudlin style " by the pursuer. This was always noticed, he further Btated, when it was "far gone." At this stage the hen seemed to address some for cible remarks to his Lcrd&hJp, who ordered it to be taken away.) Examination continued : Was this hen at tbe distillery burn this morning ? — Anyone j could see that.— (Laughter) How are the other hens to-day ? — Worse than this one. Was this the only one you could take to court?— Yes. Why ?— The rest were too druDk. So that on the whole tho Fort-Wil-liam hen is not the worst ? — That is so. How ; do you account for that ?— See can etand it better. Cross-examined : What do the hens do when they return from the burn ? — Sleep. Anything else ? — After a sleep they generally , fight. Have you no sober hens at all? — Yes, but tbe drunk ones break their eggs. For the pursuer it was contended that he liad made out he was entitled to damages. ; In an able speech '— •'<-c defence it was sub- • raii.ter! thar ■i> nrion had not been proved. Tt.e c.. « • of thp pursuer's hen j might be due to i-flu?tz ;. j His Lordship stared that, the case being a ; peculiar one, he would delay giving a dcci- ' sion that day. The court was crowded, and the FortWilliam hen was tbe object of much interest outside. A thoughtful individual presented to it fully half a class of wbieky, which it

f took greerJHy. Tbi* revived it considerably, j and it cackled at m. great rate, to the intense ; enjoyment of the bystanders. ; , [Except that all journalistic knowledge ! runneth to the contrary, we ohould have j concluded from the Above account that the : Scotch reporters had been emulating their i American compeers.]